The Unseen Pressure: The Influence of Social Media Personal-Branding on Career-Related Anxiety Among University Students

In the contemporary landscape of digital self-promotion, personal branding via social media has emerged as a prevalent strategy among young professionals striving to enhance their career prospects. While this practice offers avenues for visibility and professional positioning, it may concurrently engender psychological strain, particularly in the form of career-related anxiety. This study investigates the association between self-branding behaviors on social media platforms and the prevalence of career anxiety among final-year university students and recent graduates in Indonesia. Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected through an online survey administered to 150 respondents. The dataset was analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlational analysis. Results reveal a statistically significant negative correlation between the intensity of personal branding activities and levels of career anxiety. Specifically, individuals who actively manage and project their professional persona online tend to report reduced anxiety concerning their career trajectories. Conversely, demographic variables and platform-specific metrics—such as age, frequency of social media usage, and follower count—did not exhibit a significant relationship with career anxiety. These findings suggest that personal branding may function as a psychological resource, enabling young adults to cultivate a sense of agency and self-efficacy in navigating career uncertainties. Nonetheless, the data also underscore the ambivalent nature of digital self-presentation, as some participants expressed experiencing pressure to maintain a consistently marketable and productive image. This duality highlights the complex psychological implications of constructing a professional identity in the digital era and contributes to the broader discourse on the mental health dimensions of online career development practices.